The Hindi film Haq, starring Yami Gautam Dhar and Emraan Hashmi, has drawn significant attention since its release on 7 November 2025. The movie was directed by Suparn S. Varma, which talks about the real-world legal history and is positioned not just as entertainment but as a commentary on justice, gender rights, and social change.
What Haq Is About
Haq follows the journey of Shazia Bano (played by Yami Gautam), a devoted wife and mother whose life is upended when her husband, Abbas Khan (Emraan Hashmi), abandons her for a second marriage. Left without financial support, Shazia decides to challenge him in court, sparking a long legal battle that evolves into a wider fight for dignity and equality within a patriarchal society.
The movie is set against the backdrop of Northern India in the late 1970s and 1980s and unfolds as a gripping courtroom narrative interwoven with personal sacrifice, societal expectations, and legal complexities.
Real Story Behind the Film: The Shah Bano Case
The movie is inspired by a landmark 1985 Supreme Court case, Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Bano Begum, one of the most discussed legal battles in modern Indian history.
In real life, Shah Bano Begum was a Muslim woman from Indore who, after being divorced by her husband via triple talaq, found herself without support despite having cared for their children. Refusing to accept the injustice, she filed a petition under Section 125 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which mandates that a husband must provide maintenance for his ex-wife if she is unable to support herself.
In 1985, the Supreme Court ruled in her favour, affirming that divorced women, including those governed by Muslim personal law, were entitled to maintenance. The verdict sparked intense national debate about women’s rights, religious law, and secular legal principles. In response to strong political pressure, the Rajiv Gandhi government enacted the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act 1986, which diluted some aspects of the court’s ruling.
Shah Bano’s fight became a powerful symbol of women’s rights and legal equality in India, and her story continues to be studied and referenced in discussions on personal law reform and gender justice.
Fictionalisation and Claims of Creative Licence
Although Haq markets itself as “inspired by true events”, the film includes a disclaimer noting that characters and situations are fictionalised, and it is not a literal retelling of actual events. The screenplay reportedly draws from Jigna Vora’s book Bano: Bharat Ki Beti, which fictionalises aspects of Shah Bano’s struggle for justice.
This creative approach has sparked controversy. Shah Bano’s daughter, Siddiqua Begum Khan, filed a petition in the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a stay on the movie’s release, claiming it misrepresents personal family events and uses her mother’s life without consent. However, the court dismissed the plea, noting the film is presented as a fictionalised adaptation inspired by real events, not a literal biography.
Critical Reception and Social Impact
Critics and audiences have praised Haq for its sincere storytelling and relevance to ongoing debates about faith and justice, with many reviews highlighting the emotional depth brought by the lead performances and the film’s focus on human struggle.
While Haq may not have been a major box office release, its social commentary and connection to a historic legal milestone have made it one of the more talked-about Indian films of late 2025, especially in discussions around gender rights, religious law, and the role of cinema in reflecting societal issues.
